Cultivation Goddess
Chapter 355. Who Me?

Xiao Chang was furious when he felt himself being ignored. He attacked the villain with his sword.

At first the villains underestimated his abilities and fought him casually. After realizing Xiao Chang's sword ability was so great, he took serious steps to deal with it.

"Great as you are, Young man. I thought you were still a snot boy. It turns out your abilities can be too."

Criminals praise without sincerity but the expression is an honest confession. Several times he almost died grabbed by Xiao Chang's sword.

"Your praise will not save you from death. I'm grateful for that, but you still have to die. Hiyah!" Xiao Chang accelerated his movements with a swing of the sword that was almost unfathomable to the opponent.

Gaping wounds spread the scent of fresh blood from the body of the villain. However, he did not give up and continued to retaliate against Xiao Chang's attacks.

"I don't like defeat. Accept this!"

Criminals mustered a huge amount of energy from within his body. The energy coming out of his hand shot rapidly towards Xiao Chang.

It was a little too late then Xiao Chang would die or at least be severely injured. Lucky he jumped so fast that he made a criminal energy attack just touching the tip of his foot.

The criminal again attacked him and directed his energy into the air where he was at the moment. The attack hit an empty place.

Suddenly from behind someone also attacked Xiao Chang. The man's attack hit his back causing him to bounce and hit his first enemy.

They fell against each other and Xiao Chang slammed his fist firmly into his head with a stream of Qi. The criminal took his life as a result of his punch but he could not have any fun considering the man who attacked him was pointing at him with a sword.

The tip of the savage pris sword scratched his neck. He'll die with a single stab. Xiao Chang did not move to avoid more serious injuries.

Xiao Chang's right hand touched something that was nothing but a bag of jewelry from the spoils of a dead criminal. With an invisible movement his hand threw the pouch into the face of the criminal who was pressing down on him with the sword.

The thrown criminal noticed an object darting towards him. With a swift movement in swinging his sword towards the bag that was flying towards him. The jewelry bag broke and made its contents scatter on the ground.

The eyes of the criminal widened to see the treasures his friend had gathered scattered on the ground.

This opportunity was not wasted by Xiao Chang. This young man rolled to the side and grabbed his sword.

The hand that held the sword was firmly trampled by the villain. Not wanting to lose the chance to kill Xiao Chang again, he swung his sword then pointed his sword tip towards his chest.

The villain sword shot out rapidly towards Xiao Chang's heart. With a flow of Qi the criminal stabbed him strongly.

"Dead You, Boy!" exclaim the villain with a smile of victory.

The villain sword hit something hard and made the villain bounce back.

Xiao Chang himself was shocked to see this incident. His father's necklace protects him from a deadly attack that almost took his life.

'Dad! This necklace protects me. What is this necklace?' Xiao Chang dissolved in astonishment.

The criminal is still trying to get hold of him. He felt a great force pushing him strongly. His body was like numbness from the invisible attack from the foreign energy that hit him.

"Receive this!" Xiao Chang swung his sword towards the villain.

The criminal tried to retaliate by moving his hand to welcome Xiao Chang's attack. Unfortunately his movements slowed down like someone was holding him back. As a result, Xiao Chang's sword slashed at the stiff hands of the criminal.

A loud cry sounded in the silence of the night. More painful than death. One by one the body parts of the criminal were cut off quickly.

Xiao Chang left him and let him die from blood loss. He then darted away looking for another member of the criminal.

All the criminals died at his hands. The townspeople who had originally looked at him one eye now started giving him a stage. They did not expect the orphaned young man to have martial skills that were worth a thumbs up.

All the praise and rewards meant nothing to Xiao Chang. He doesn't want it.

"Thank you, Xiao Chang. You are our savior!" call one of the residents.

"It's just a coincidence. I'm not as good as you think. The night is getting late, I want to go rest. See you soon."

Xiao Chang left the residents who still wanted to talk a lot with him. They did not give up and followed Xiao Chang walking behind him.

Actually Xiao Chang knew it but he pretended not to see. He doesn't like to be cheered on by the crowd. According to him, greatness does not need to be shown so as not to provoke jealousy.

Arriving at home, Xiao Chang immediately entered and locked the door of his house from the inside. Not to be disrespectful, he really did not want to talk unimportant things with everyone.

"You're back, Chang'er?"

Grandfather Xiao Chang was sitting in front of a table filled with food. The old man was very good at cooking.

"Well, this looks so delicious."

Xiao Chang prepared to sit down but his grandfather prevented him with a hand gesture.

"I'm sick to see the blood on your shirt. Go replace it first. I'll wait for you until you come."

Xiao Chang grimaced to his own body. His body is very dirty. It was not wrong for her grandfather to feel disgusted.

"All right! I'm going for a minute."

Xiao Chang went to clean up quickly and then returned to his grandfather with a clean body. He picked up the food quickly then ate it very greedily.

"You look like a hungry man. Eat slowly, Chang'er. Don't be like that, not good."

"Hm." Xiao Chang answered him with a nod remembering his mouth that was full of food.

During his stay in the forest he could not eat well. He had secretly trained his manager until it became as great as it is now. His courage was worth appreciating considering he was no one when he went into the forest.

Dinner's over. All the food on the table had moved into the stomach of Xiao Chang and his grandfather. They do not sleep considering the stomach is still feeling great.

They chatted casually discussing the activities of the two when not together. Xiao Chang with his struggle and his grandfather with his garden. A simple story that makes them fill each other.

Suddenly Xiao Chang remembered something. His hand touched his chest and pulled out his father's necklace. A gold-framed jade pendant in the shape of a sun hung on his neck.

"Grandfather, may I ask you something."

Grandfather Xiao Chang nodded. Suddenly his face became tense.

"This locket saved me tonight. What exactly was my father like and where did he come from?" Xiao Chang looked at his grandfather in a straight line.

Grandfather Xiao Chang sighed deeply. His face gave a serious expression. Before he started talking he took his cup and then downed the contents inside.

"Your father was an orphan. When I found him he was a baby. Your mother was my real daughter. I don't know which clan your father came from. That necklace is the only clue that can be used to trace his identity."

Xiao Chang looked at his grandfather's face in disbelief. He felt that there was still something hidden by his grandfather.

"I'm going on a trip tomorrow to find my father's family."

Xiao Chang's statement made his grandfather feel confused. He knew that his grandson had a hard nature. Xiao Chang never messed with his words.

"Actually ...." Grandpa Xiao Chang paused.

Xiao Chang looked at his grandfather inside. Heart cheered. 'Let's say, Cake. Finally Grandpa was hooked too.'

"Your father used to find out about his origins." Grandfather Xiao Chang stopped again.

Xiao Chang was getting impatient to hear the continuation of his story.

"When your father graduated from the academy, he was about eighteen, he asked me for permission to go find out about his family. More or less he's gone for five years."

"Did you find your family?" xiao Chan asked, he could not help himself anymore.

Grandfather Xiao Chang nodded.

Xiao Chang's eyes widened to look at his grandfather. His curiosity grew even more considering that his grandfather only told him piece by piece.

Grandfather Xiao Chang took something from behind his sleeve. A small scroll decorated with golden threads was in his hand.

"What is this, Cake?" xiao Chang asked as he received the item.

Grandfather Xiao Chang did not say anything. He gave her a signal to open it.

Xiao Chang opened it carefully. The scroll was a cloth that resembled a handkerchief. In the middle of the cloth was a writing.

"Gu Tian An."

Xiao Chang's heart was like a rapidly beating war drum. Indirectly he was a descendant of the Gu Clan that was separated from his extended family.

His grandfather went back to tell him that during his life he had secretly helped Emperor Gu without revealing his identity. Grandfather Xiao Chang did not know why baby Tian An could be at the edge of the forest when he discovered.

Xiao Chang's body went limp. The news he received made him helpless. He was happy when he found out that he was a descendant of the Gu Clan. However, he felt sad that his family had been slaughtered by Emperor Ning and only Fang Yin and Tian Feng remained.

The night was getting late, Xiao Chang's grandfather asked his grandson to rest. Xiao Chang's state was like a dazed person. He painstakingly took her to the room to rest.

'Forgive grandpa. I shouldn't have told you everything and kept it a secret. But everything has gone. May you soon overcome this situation.'

Grandfather Xiao Chang left him after seeing his grandson look calmer. Outside Xiao Chang's room, the old man cried. She felt afraid of losing Xiao Chang like she had lost her two children.

***

The old man nodded. Xiao Chang always woke up during the day if not awakened by him. This habit did not make him feel any objection because he loved him so much.

The body of old man Xiao Chang walked slowly towards Xiao Chang's room. His hand extended forward and pushed the door slowly. Not wanting to shock his grandson, grandfather Xiao Chang opened it carefully.

"Chang ...." His words stopped when he saw that the room was empty.

Xiao Chang did not live there anymore. His heart crumbled as if he had lost his only granddaughter without his knowledge.

"I know you don't want to stare at my sad face but you should have let you stare at your back."

Grandfather Xiao Chang's hand grabbed Xiao Chang's blanket and grabbed him. The scent of Xiao Chang's body was still very clear, he inhaled it deeply and sensed the presence of his grandson who had left.

His bed was still warm indicating that Xiao Chang had not gone far from there.

His sorrow would not bring Xiao Chang back. The only thing he could do right now was to survive and wait for his granddaughter to return to him.

In a different place, though,

Xiao Chang left quickly by jumping from one tree to another. He did not care what would happen after this, he would still go to meet Gu Fang Yin and see the two remaining Gu Clan members.

It was only them and his grandfather that he had right now. His arrival was not to expect power or glory, his intentions were far from that. Xiao Chang had come only to see the residence of his ancestors in the past.

"Grandfather, I'm sorry." Xiao Chang looked back and then moved back.

"I can't wait to get to the Empire of the Eastern Continent. Princess Gu will definitely not recognize me. I'm going to go undercover to apply for a job as a waitress so I can get inside the palace." Xiao Chang whispered to himself.

It was still very early in the morning, when he left Qiong City, no residents had yet left the house. No one knows of his departure. Now Xiao Chang had reached the border of the city.

Not wanting to take much risk, Xiao Chang chose to go through the trade route. By following the route of the merchants then he would not get lost and could reach the capital safely.

It took about two days on foot to arrive at the Imperial capital of the Eastern Continent. That time is calculated by taking a break at night. He could arrive faster if he walked without a break but it felt impossible.

Out of Qiong City, Xiao Chang entered the region of the precious stone hills. There are many excavation holes made by miners scattered on the left right of the road. If not careful then one could slip and fall into the abyss.

After passing through the hills and forest outskirts, he would find a village. There he could rest for a while to fill his stomach and buy some supplies.

The villagers no one knew him. They used to meet with the comers and passing merchants so they did not ask much.

After the war ended, the wheels of the economy had not been running normally. The residents feel anxious to do activities as usual. They are still improving and waiting for new rules from the new leader.

Traders who are usually busy selling along the way, now only a handful. There were only two people selling food in a tavern making it a little overwhelmed serving the arriving buyers.

Xiao Chang was queuing up.

The conversations of those around him attracted his attention. From them Xiao Chang heard some important information about how the current state of the Eastern Continent Imperial palace was. At least he had an image although not entirely the news was true.

As a simple living family, Xiao Chang did not have much money. He only had a bag of silver coins he had collected for quite a long time from the proceeds of selling vegetables and firewood. For that he chose the cheapest food and ate it alone in the corner of the store.

With his grandfather he could eat well because his grandfather raised some poultry and planted vegetables in his garden. They don't have to buy everything they need. Xiao Chang and his grandfather sold the surplus vegetables and farm produce to buy something they did not have.

Living without parents since childhood makes him understand how to save money. He was not a spoiled child who only hung his life to his grandfather. Often he went into the woods looking for firewood and dried mushrooms for sale.

"What are you doing there, young man? Come here, sit with us!" call a man who is having lunch with his family.

"No, thank you, sir. My food is almost done." Xiao Chang rejected it subtly.

"Hm." The man nodded. He could not force Xiao Chang who was sitting pitifully in the corner of the tavern.

Her daughter was roughly ten years younger than Xiao Chang who was currently nineteen years old. He walked up to Xiao Chang and added some food to Xiao Chang's bowl.

"Hey, what are you doing." Xiao Chang looked at the two girls parents with an uneasy feeling.

The girl's parents had a shady face. Compassion was clearly drawn in their eyes. It seemed like the girl had a kind nature that declined from them.

"It's okay. Don't make Jia Lin cry. His heart is very soft" said Jia Lin's mother.

"Thank you, Madam. Thanks Jia ...." Xiao Chang remembered. Jia Lin's mother said so gently that it made her speech less so clear.

"Jia Lin's. My name is Jia Lin. Whose brother?"

"My name is Xiao Chang."

"Hopefully one day we can meet again, Brother." Jia Lin glanced at the pendant Xiao Chang slightly poked.

"Hm." Xiao Chang nodded.

They are back to enjoying the food. Xiao Chang finished first because he did not want to linger. The journey is still very far.

Xiao Chang said goodbye to the family and left the shop with light steps. His strength refilled and allowed him to move agilely.

***

After going through a long journey, Xiao Chang finally arrived at the Imperial capital of the Eastern Continent. His eyes were presented with a different view of the entire city he had visited before.

It's almost dark. There was no way Xiao Chang would go to the palace tonight. The next day he was going there.

Xiao Chang went around to look for an inn. The situation in the capital returned to normal. The residents have been doing their activities as usual.

Lots of food vendors lined up neatly along the way. They sell a variety of foods of various types. The aroma spread throughout the corners of the city making people compete to find the food they like.

Xiao Chang fumbled the contents of his coin bag. There was still quite a lot of it in it but he did not want to be too wasteful. He did not know his days after this.

"What do you want to buy, son?" ask the food seller where Xiao Chang is standing.

Xiao Chang who was daydreaming was seen faltering when he got the merchant's question. He then pointed at a cake and a skewer of food.

The merchant mentioned the amount to be paid by him. He thought it was too expensive, but he bought it. Xiao Chang would not pay him.

'Food in the capital is very expensive. The coins I have are just enough to eat for a few days. I have to think of a way to earn money if the palace is not looking for a new servant.'

Xiao Chang looked at the food in his hand. Fear broke his heart. Fear looms where he will live in a place he does not know.

In order to save money, Xiao Chang abandoned his intention to stay at the inn. He chose to sleep in the open to survive longer.

His body feels very tired. Xiao Chang sat leaning against a tree growing by the roadside. The place looks quiet and a little far from the residential area. He did not know that behind his resting place was the palace of the Eastern Continent Empire.

There were not many bodyguards standing guard and patrolling the palace considering that the repairs had not been completed. Most of Fang Yin's supporting forces had returned to their respective countries. Only troops from the ice tribe and the Black Jade hill lived there.

Yu Ruo and Concubine Shi had just returned from the medicine stall. They were looking for the ingredients of the potion that Fang Yin had requested. The two walked past the tree that was Xiao Chang's resting place.

The one who first saw him was Yu Ruo. Concubine Shi only realized Xiao Chang's whereabouts afterwards.

"Who is he, Mother? It's a pity," Consort Shi said feeling pity.

"I don't know. Maybe he was an evicted person or maybe he didn't have any more family after his family went to be a victim of war."

Concubine Shi walked over to Xiao Chang. His social soul was extremely high, he could not see the suffering of others before his eyes.

"Young man, what are you doing here?" ask Consort Shi.

Xiao Chang who had not been so sound with his sleep immediately opened his extremely sleepy eyes and made sure the voice he had just heard was not an illusion or a dream.

He faintly saw the shadow of the two women before him. Xiao Chang straightened his body then rubbed his eyes with both hands.

Yu Ruo and Concubine Shi were greatly shocked when they saw that the young man had a facial line similar to Gu Tian Feng. A little similar to Emperor Gu.

Concubine Shi held onto her chest that suddenly gurgled erratically. His feet do not sit on the ground. The item he was carrying almost fell if Yu Ruo did not catch him immediately.

The same was felt by Yu Ruo. But he is more in control of himself.

"Mother, I feel very familiar with this face," Consort Shi said softly.

"I am too."

For a moment the atmosphere became silent. All three are trying to master their respective circumstances. They were both surprised by this meeting for different reasons.

Xiao Chang felt afraid that his presence there was a mistake that brought bad luck to him.

"Ma-sorry, Mistress. I didn't mean to mess up in this place. Again I'm sorry." Xiao Chang fused his hands together then prepared to kneel.

"Stop! What are you gonna do?" Concubine Shi prevented Xiao Chang from kneeling down.

Concubine Shi looked at her mother. He hesitated to ask.

Yu Ruo convinced Consort Shi with a nod.

****

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